Music

Many of today’s top artists have been open about the fact that they’re dealing with anxiety, depression or the pressure from social media.  Iggy Azalea is now suggesting a solution: That artists’ record labels should provide them with mental health resources.

“I REALLY WISH record labels would all agree to make it mandatory to hire at least ONE psychologist per label,” the Australian rapper tweeted on Monday. “Almost EVERY artist in recent times has expressed struggling with the level of hate & pressure. Sports teams do it for their athletes, why not music labels?”

“Also yes it may seem like ‘But there’s so many labels!’ There’s actually only about 4 guys running the entire music business,” Iggy explained. “So it would be pretty easy to hold them accountable and make them implement a change across their businesses.” 

She specifically mentioned the head of Universal Music Group, Lucian Grainge, and the head of Sony Music Entertainment, Rob Stringer, as two of those “guys” who could make that change.

“Between these two guys that’s literally like 85% coverage across the labels. See what I’m saying?” Iggy went on to write. “It’s not hard to actually do this. Why won’t they do it?”

“A weekly mental health check in being normalized would take away the fear factor of having to approach often older people in power positions for help which can feel like exposing a weakness,” Iggy explained. She added, “trust me, I lived it.”

When a fan suggested that even if offered, artists wouldn’t use the resource, Iggy disagreed.

“As an artist who knows a lot of artists and has had this conversation in studios a million times, I can confidently say If they had built in access it would be utilized,” she declared.

I REALLY WISH record labels would all agree to make it mandatory to hire at least ONE
psychologist per label.

Almost EVERY artist in recent times has expressed struggling with the level of hate & pressure.

Sports teams do it for their athletes, why not music labels?

— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) August 16, 2021

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Alessia Cara has released the first installment of her new dating advice game show, Get Him Back or Get Him Back.

The debut episode, now on YouTube, is a tie-in to Alessia’s new song, “Shapeshifter,” which includes the lyric, “Don’t know if I wanna get you back or get you back someday.”

In the clip, Alessia plays the host, Gianna Vitali, a gum-chewing cynic with a New York accent who starts the show by announcing, “All of you sent in your love advice questions, I’m gonna answer them. Am I single? Yes. Am I in any way qualified? No. Let’s get started.”

When one question asks if she believes in finding “The One,” Alessia admits she doesn’t believe in love at all but thinks there are multiple people out there for you so “try ‘em all.”

She also gives her advice on whether opposites attract, what red flags to look for, if someone who broke your heart deserves to have a song written about them, and more.

Episode two  of Get Him Back or Get Him Back will be out next week.

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Jay-Z’s Roc Nation represents over 100 pro stars, including Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets. Now Hova hopes to expand his sports influence by opening a sportsbook in New York.

The billionaire mogul is partnering with the Fanatics sports merchandise company to bring mobile sports betting to the Empire State next year, according to Page Six.

Last week, Roc Nation became an investor in Fanatics, and together, they’re creating the Fanatics Betting and Betting company. The firm is now bidding for a sportsbook license, and their competition includes FanDuel, DraftKings, Bally’s, BetMGM, and Caesars Sportsbook.

In addition to representing professional athletes, Roc Nation partnered last year with the NFL as a consultant on the league’s major music events, including the Super Bowl halftime show. Roc Nation artist Shakira performed with Jennifer Lopez at halftime of the 2020 championship game on February 2 in Miami.

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Camille A. Brown will make her directorial debut on Broadway with the upcoming Broadway production of Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf.

Brown, who previously served as the choreographer on the 2019 production of the off-Broadway play, will also continue in her role as choreographer on Broadway. This makes her the first Black woman to serve as both director and choreographer on a Broadway production in more than 65 years. Brown, who is founder and artistic director of the award-winning dance company Camille A. Brown and Dancers, said in a statement that she’s looking “forward to diving into the divine Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem and celebrating her legacy.” For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf will come to Broadway sometime in 2022.

In other news, a trailer for Spike Lee‘s new documentary series, NYC Epicenters 9/11 → 2021½, has been released. The four-part doc follows NYC’s evolution through 9/11, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests. It features first-hand accounts from residents, including first responders, politicians, celebrities, journalists, and even members of Lee’s own family. NYC Epicenters 9/11 → 2021½ premieres on HBO and HBO Max on August 22.

Finally, the highly anticipated episode of Marvel’s What If…, featuring the final performance of the late Chadwick Boseman as King T’Challa, will launch on Disney+ this Wednesday, August 18th. As previously reported, the animated series reimagines famous events from films in the MCU, creating a multiverse of infinite possibilities. In the forthcoming Boseman episode, T’Challa/Black Panther will swap places with Chris Pratt‘s Star-Lord, and learn about his past from Michael Rooker‘s Ravager leader, Yondu. Marvel is owned by Disney, parent company of ABC News.

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Following reports that Adele recently purchased her LA neighbor Nicole Richie‘s home for more than $7 million, a British tabloid reports that the star is about to build a huge mansion in London.

The Mirror claims it’s seen the plans for the home in the fashionable neighborhood of Kensington, which will be created by connecting two existing homes.  The paper claims Adele bought those two homes for more than $15 million and is now spending close to three million to connect them. 

The new home, claims the paper, will have a master bedroom that alone measures 1,000 square feet, which is twice the size of the average London apartment.  The bedroom will take up the entire first floor of the four-floor property, which will also include a two-car garage, a big playroom for Adele’s eight-year-old son, a yard with a barbecue area and more.

In addition to the house she just bought from Nicole Richie, Adele also owns two more LA properties on that same street.

Lately, Adele’s been seen out and about in New York with her reported new boyfriend, sports agent Rich Paul.

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Luke Bryan has added more artists to his Farm Tour. 

On Monday, the country superstar unveiled the opening acts who will join him as they visit a handful of farms across the country. Dylan Scott, who recently scored his second #1 hit with “Nobody,” hit songwriting trio The Peach Pickers, Whitney Duncan and DJ Rock will perform on the six-date tour that kicks off on September 9 at Statz Bros. Farm in Wisconsin and makes stops throughout the Midwest before ending at Kubiak Family Farms in Michigan on September 18.

Luke has also partnered with Bayer and Feeding America to help fight hunger along the way. For every share of #HerestotheFarmer on social media, Bayer will donate a meal to a person in need. 

In the meantime, Luke continues on his Proud to Be Right Here Tour through the fall.

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Even though it came out back in 2019, it seems fans still aren’t tired of The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights.”

The smash hit has just set the record for the longest-running song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, at 88 weeks.  Previously, it was tied with “Radioactive,” by Imagine Dragons, at 87 weeks.

Prior to this new milestone, the song had also set the record for most time in the top five, the top 10 and the top 40 of the Hot 100 — at 43 weeks, 47 weeks, 79 weeks and 84 weeks, respectively.

“Blinding Lights” is one of three number-one hits from The Weeknd’s 2020 album, After Hours.  The others are “Save Your Tears” and “Heartless.”

Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds doesn’t mind that The Weeknd just beat his band’s record.  He tells Billboard, “I love The Weeknd…he’s a legend, he’s an icon. I think his music is the type of music that’s going to live on for a long time, and do good things. So if there was ever someone to take the record, I think it’s good company.”

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Nicki Minaj and husband Kenneth Petty are being taken to court by a woman who claims Petty raped her in 1994.

Jennifer Hough asserts in a new lawsuit that Petty “intimidated” and “harassed” her not to talk about the incident, and says that Nicki “threatened” her and wanted her to disavow her accusations against Petty, according to Billboard. Hough also accuses the couple of “witness intimidation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, harassment, assault, battery, sexual assault, and sexual harassment.”

According to the lawsuit, as reported by Billboard, Hough says that on September 16, 1994, when she and Petty were both 16 years old, he held her at knifepoint and raped her in New York City. He was arrested for first-degree rape, pleaded guilty to attempted rape, and was sentenced to 18 to 54 months in prison.

Hough alleges that Nicki falsely claims that she wrote a letter recanting her statement accusing Petty of rape, and that on two different occasions, Minaj and Petty offered $500,000, and $20,000, to recant her statement.  As a result, Hough says that for years, she has felt “mentally and emotionally destroyed.”

The lawsuit also states that Hough “has not worked since May of 2020 due to severe depression, paranoia, constant moving, harassment, and threats from the defendants and their associates,” and is “living in isolation out of fear of retaliation.”

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